NASA Education Express — Jan. 14, 2016

Check out the latest NASA Education opportunity announcements.

Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New This Week!____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Join STEM on Station for #mISSionimaginaTIonAudience: Grades 6-12 Educators and Students

Free NASA Educator Professional Development WebinarsAudience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Jan. 14, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EST

International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects onLiquids ExploratoryResearchExperimentsAudience: Grade 8-12 Educators and Students
Entry Deadlines: Feb. 1, March 1 and April 1, 2016

2016 NASA Student Airborne Research Program
Audience: Undergraduate Students Currently in Their Junior Year
Application Deadline: Feb. 2, 2016

NEW THIS WEEK!____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Join STEM on Station for #mISSionimaginaTIon

NASA and Texas Instruments have partnered to bring a series of STEM-focused design challenges, based upon the One-Year Crew mission, to students in middle and high school grades and their teachers. These challenges give students the opportunity to use their imagination to design aspects of a long-duration mission in space.

Learn more about these exciting opportunities and other ways you can bring the space station into your classroom by visiting NASA’s STEM on Station website. While you are there, stop by and learn more about the yearlong mission and how it is helping NASA on the #JourneytoMars. Opportunities, resources and more await at this space station-focused site!

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Earth Right Now: Changing Weather in Our Climate — Using Earth Observations to Talk About Snow and IceAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: Jan. 14, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Participants will explore resources from the Earth Observatory and NASA Earth Observations websites. Learn how to use these resources to discuss the effects of changing snow and ice coverage on Earth. The resources covered in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standards ESS2 and ESS3. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/155793

Earth Right Now: Precipitation Education – Flooding and DroughtAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-8Event Date: Jan. 20, 2016, at 6 p.m. EST
With the use of NASA satellite technology, scientists see some alarming changes in water resources. Explore how water bodies change in response to changes in weather, climate and human interactions. Plan inquiry-based experiments to explain sustainability and water quality. Use NASA images to examine dramatic changes in water resources. Participants will practice collaborating on problem-based learning with free NASA resources. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/153870

NASA Rockets 2 Racecars: May the Force Uplift You, or Not!Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: Jan. 25, 2016, at 4 p.m. EST
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars! Participants will learn more about the science behind racing and the forces of flight and motion. Educators will discuss air pressure and airflow on airplane wings in relation to racecars in order to help students understand Bernoulli’s principles. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/150707

Earth Right Now: AtmosphereAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: Jan. 26, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EST
NASA’s fleet of satellites and airborne missions are helping researchers address some of the critical challenges facing our planet today. Learn about clouds and contrails with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, program. This international science and education program provides students the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process while contributing meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/151057

Earth Right Now: How High Is It?Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: Jan. 27, 2016, at 6 p.m. EST
Explore the NASA “How High Is It?” curriculum and learn to create a variety of scaled models of the altitudes of NASA aircraft and spacecraft, natural and artificial satellites, and the layers of Earth’s atmosphere. These activities also help students develop number sense by representing scale factors in terms of ratios, decimals, and percentages. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/153601

Earth Right Now: Exploring UV LightAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-6Event Date: Jan. 28, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Explore ultraviolet light through an experiment using UV-sensitive beads. This inquiry-based lesson will help your students discover the dangers of UV light. This session will focus on the engineering design process. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/157623

Do you want to be one of NASA’s STARS? In this series of live, Spanish video chats, “Students Talk About Real STEM” (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with NASA professionals who work in these areas. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network and Educator Professional Development Collaborative for an inside look at NASA missions, research and careers. Submit questions via Twitter using #NASASTARS or via email to astrosdeNASA@gmail.com.

Sign up to connect your class directly and participate in a live event. Please direct questions about this event to astrosdeNASA@gmail.com.

The next hourlong event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Jan. 20, 2016, at 1 p.m. EST.

Connect your class with NASA’s Digital Learning Network to talk with a polymer chemist from Ras Labs about the Synthetic Muscle™ experiment on the International Space Station. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, or CASIS, manages the U.S. National Laboratory and sponsors this experiment. This investigation will test radiation resistance of an electroactive polymer.

The 45-minute event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Jan. 29, 2016, at 11 a.m. EST.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is offering fellowships for qualified science, technology, mathematics and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities. This program provides a 10-week summer residency at Marshall.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens who hold full-time teaching or research appointments at accredited universities or colleges in the United States. Women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Faculty fellows receive stipends based on academic level. And fellows living more than 50 miles from Marshall will receive a relocation allowance of $1,500 and a $500 travel supplement for one round-trip.

Call for Papers: 2016 International Space Station Research and Development Conference

The fifth annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference will be held July 12-14, 2016, at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center in San Diego, California.

NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, and the American Astronautical Society are seeking abstracts under the categories of biology and medicine; human health in space; commercialization and nongovernment utilization; physical sciences and materials development; plant science; Earth science and remote sensing; technology development and demonstration; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education. Topics should relate to science, exploration and technology activities (past, present, planned or under development) on the International Space Station.

Both the conference and abstract submittal are open to entrepreneurial, commercial, academic and government agency attendees, both from and outside the United States. Eligible attendees include professionals, young professionals, students and interested parties. The working language for the conference is English. The conference will include plenaries for topics of general interests and technical sessions for focused discussions.

Because of the large number of expected submissions, presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts early; the deadline is Feb. 25, 2016.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to ISSTechChair@atdl-inc.com.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Sky for All: Air Mobility for 2035 and Beyond’ Challenge

NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is sponsoring the “Sky for All: Air Mobility for 2035 and Beyond” challenge. With a prize purse of $15,000, the challenge seeks innovative ideas for technologies that could be part of a clean-slate, revolutionary design and concept of operations for the airspace of the future.

Potential solvers are tasked with thinking outside the current air traffic management system box and with considering how to manage crowded skies, autonomous operations and cyber security of the system. The challenge is open to all individuals, age 18 or older, private teams, public teams and collegiate teams. Individual competitors and teams may originate from any country, as long as United States federal sanctions do not prohibit participation.

NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society once again will offer filmmakers around the world a chance to share their works inspired by — and using — actual NASA imagery through “CineSpace,” a short-film competition.

Films featuring NASA-captured imagery and video collected throughout the agency’s 50-year history will be judged on creativity, innovation and attention to detail. Works submitted to “CineSpace” will compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to be shown to audiences both on and off Earth. In addition to being screened at the “CineSpace” awards ceremony during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, winners and finalists may be screened at other film festivals across the country, as well as on NASA TV and even on the International Space Station.

“CineSpace” is open to all filmmakers, both professional and aspiring. The competition will accept submissions of all genres, including narrative, documentary, comedy, drama, animation, experimental and others, of up to 10 minutes running time. Entries must use at least 10 percent publically available NASA imagery.

The submission period opens June 1, 2016, and closes July 31, 2016. Finalists and winners will be announced at a “CineSpace” event during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival in November. Entries will be competing for $26,000 in prizes with cash awards going to the top three submissions as well as the two films that best demonstrate the themes “Benefits of Space to Humanity” and “Future Space Exploration.”

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures also are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is “Deep Space Atomic Clock.”

Deep Space Atomic Clock
Event Date: Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, 2015, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=1
Atomic clocks are an integral, yet almost invisible component of modern life. They are used in everything from the now-ubiquitous Global Positioning System to global financial and trading systems. Join Todd Ely, Ph.D., and Allen H. Farrington from the NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock group for a discussion about the latest atomic clock technologies and how they are used in space exploration.

The Lunar and Planetary Institute is hosting a special Exploration Science Summer Intern Program in 2016. The program is a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities may involve assessments and traverse plans for a particular destination (e.g., on the far side of the moon) or a more general assessment of a class of possible exploration targets (e.g., small near-Earth asteroids).

The program is open to graduate students in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy and related programs. The 10-week program runs from May 23, 2016, through July 29, 2016. Selected interns will receive stipends and travel expense reimbursement.

Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is a free alternate-reality game that will challenge you to become an astronaut-in-training for a future trip to Mars. Choose what role you will play on the mission; engage in fun interactive activities; and explore the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills you will need as a next-generation space traveler. Along the way, you’ll learn about some of the museum’s fascinating artifacts.

Instructions and guidance are given via a special webpage accessed on your mobile device. Players should bring their own phones or devices equipped with an internet browser and a camera. Having a digital picture-taking device (smartphone, tablet, camera) is highly recommended but not required.

The game is aimed at upper elementary and middle school visitors and their families. Do you want to bring a group? Reservations are required for groups larger than 15.

The next offering of the Astronaut Academy is on Jan. 16, 2016. Begin your training with Astronaut Orientation in the Claude Moore Education Center Classroom 1 located on the first level across from the restrooms. Astronaut Orientation is offered at regular intervals between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The last opportunity to start the game is at 2:30 p.m. A self-guided activity, the game should take between 60 and 90 minutes, and staff will help you along the way.

NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2016 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage Aerospace Concepts competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition for university-level engineering students and faculty.

NASA could potentially implement concepts derived from the design projects.

Interested teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by Jan. 17, 2016.

For the first time, the 2016 RASC-AL Competition will include a two-tiered down-select process. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the abstract proposals and select as many as 20 undergraduate or graduate teams to move to the next phase of the competition. Based on evaluation of three-page midproject papers submitted by these teams in mid-March, the field will be narrowed once again to 14-16 teams who will be selected for the final round of the competition. These teams will present their concepts to the panel of judges (the RASC-AL Steering Committee) at the RASC-AL Forum in June 2016 in Florida.

The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited college or university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities also may collaborate on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

NASA and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium are pleased to announce the 7th Annual First Nations Launch National Rocket Competition. The spring 2016 competition, tentatively scheduled for April 23, hosts two challenges: Tribal and American Indian Science and Engineering Society, or AISES, high-powered rocket launches. The best performing team* in each category will receive an invitation for a specially arranged tour of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Eighteen teams can participate in the First Nations Launch competition.

For a team to apply to the First Nations Launch program, a faculty advisor must complete the following steps:

Once the faculty advisor completes the Notice of Intent, identifies the team name, lists the student participants, and chooses which competition the team will compete in, each student must do the following:

The Notice of Intent and student applicationsmust be submitted byJan. 18, 2016, to compete in the competition. Teams that need assistance securing a faculty advisor should contact the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. Teams are encouraged to seek advice from industry, Tripoli**, the National Association of Rocketry, and their state’s local Space Grant Consortium.

Each team will be provided a low-powered model rocket for flight demonstration, two reloadable rocket motors, and the motor casing per competition flight parameters. In addition, teams will be awarded up to $5,000 for travel and project expenses. The team advisor/mentor will receive a $1,000 stipend. First Nations Launch is a program funded by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA is committed to promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics opportunities. Interested teams do not need prior experience to participate in this program.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting applications for its 2016 Educational Partnership Program Undergraduate Scholarship and 2016 Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Programs.

The Educational Partnership Program Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study to students majoring in STEM fields that directly support NOAA’s mission. Participants conduct research at a NOAA facility during two paid summer internships. A stipend and housing allowance is provided. Students attending an accredited Minority Serving Institution as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaskan-Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) are eligible to apply for the program. The institutions must be within the United States or U.S. Territories. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must earn and maintain a minimum 3.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

The Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study with a paid internship at a NOAA facility during the interim summer session. A stipend and housing allowance is provided. Applicants must be U.S. citizens enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university. Applicants also must have and maintain a declared major in a discipline including, but not limited to, oceanic, environmental, biological, and atmospheric sciences; mathematics; engineering; remote-sensing technology; physical and social sciences including geography, physics, hydrology, geomatics; or teacher education that supports NOAA’s programs and mission. Participants must earn and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

NASA is embarking on a journey to Mars! Are your students ready to join in the adventure? Spark excitement in your classroom with the Mars Survival Kit.

The Mars Survival Kit is a collection of educational activities for students in grades K-12. Each educational activity includes a brief description, as well as information about how the activities and lessons align to the Next Generation Science Standards.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to GSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships Program Accepting Proposals for 2016-2017 Academic Year

The NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program is soliciting applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in earth and space sciences, or related disciplines, for the 2016-2017 academic year. The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals. Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be training grants to the respective universities, with the advisor serving as the principal investigator. The financial support for the NESSF program comes from the Science Mission Directorate’s four science divisions: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science and Astrophysics.

Initially, NESSF awards are made for one year. They may be renewed for up to two additional years, contingent upon satisfactory progress (as reflected in academic performance, research progress and recommendation by the faculty advisor) and the availability of funds.

Questions about Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research and Astrophysics Research opportunities should be directed to Dolores Holland at hq-nessf-Space@nasa.gov.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2016 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program

Applications are being accepted for the 2016 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program. This program provides a 10-week summer residency at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be full-time science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, faculty members who are U.S. citizens. Applicants must be tenured faculty or in tenure-track positions at four-year accredited U.S. colleges and universities, or full-time faculty at two-year U.S. academic institutions. Faculty members from underrepresented groups and at U.S. Department of Education-designated Minority Serving Institutions are particularly encouraged to apply.

The program covers limited travel expenses for qualified and accepted faculty, as well as stipends for all accepted faculty. Please note that stipend payments or salaries from other federal funding sources, including research grants and contracts, may not be accepted during the 10-week tenure of a Glenn faculty fellowship appointment.

Inquiries about NASA’s Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program should be directed to Dr. M. David Kankam at Mark.D.Kankam@nasa.gov.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects onLiquids ExploratoryResearchExperiments

NASA and Portland State University are seeking participants for the International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects on Liquids Exploratory Research Experiments, or CELERE. This design challenge enables students to participate in microgravity research on capillary action, similar to that conducted on the space station.

Teams or individuals create their own experiment using computer-aided design with a provided template and submit short proposals presenting the experiments. Portland State University then manufactures test cells using the CAD drawings and a computer-controlled laser cutter. Each experiment is conducted in a drop tower. Video of the drop is provided for student analysis and reporting of results.

CELERE is open to individuals and teams in grades 8-12. To facilitate the participation of informal science clubs, Scouts, etc., teams may include younger students as long as at least one team member is in grades 8-12. Teams may be of any size and may include an entire class or science club. The program is limited to students from the U.S., including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students at Department of Defense Education Activity schools (www.dodea.edu), including those outside the U.S., are also eligible to participate.

The CELERE design challenge is a relatively new program and, as a result, the odds of selection are quite high. In 2014 and 2015, 100 percent of the entries were selected for full participation, where the student experiments were built and tested in microgravity. In 2016, selection of at least one qualifying entry is guaranteed from each state and listed territory, at least one DODEA school, and at least one Bureau of Indian Education school (http://bie.edu/). Students are strongly encouraged to apply!

Design proposals are now being accepted. Deadlines for submissions are Feb. 1, March 1 and April 1, 2016.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please email your inquiries to the CELERE team at celere@lists.nasa.gov.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2016 NASA Student Airborne Research Program

The NASA Airborne Science Program invites highly motivated undergraduate students currently in their junior year to apply for the NASA Student Airborne Research Program, also known as SARP 2016. The program provides students with hands-on research experience in all aspects of a major scientific campaign, from detailed planning on how to achieve mission objectives to formal presentation of results and conclusions to peers and others. Students will assist in the operation of airborne instruments aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft. They also will analyze remote-sensing data collected during the program from the NASA ER-2.

The program takes place in summer 2016. Instrument and flight preparations, and the research flights themselves, will occur at NASA′s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California. Postflight data analysis and interpretation will take place at the University of California, Irvine.

Successful applicants will be awarded a stipend plus a travel allowance for eight weeks of participation in the program. Housing and local transportation also will be provided.

Specific questions about the program should be directed to SARP2016@nserc.und.edu.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

U.S. Department of Energy’s BioenergizeME Infographic ChallengeRegistration opens soon for the U.S. Department of Energy’s new BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge. This competition challenges teams of high school students to design an infographic that responds to one of four specific cross-curricular bioenergy topics.

Selected infographics will be promoted nationally on the challenge website and via social media. One team of students will be selected to present their infographic at the Bioenergy Technologies Office’s annual conference in Washington, D.C.

To make the challenge easy and effective, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Library of Congress have provided a resource guide with steps for doing research, along with valuable links and references to help students learn about bioenergy topics. Participants also have access to rubrics and guides for creating infographics and designing social media campaigns. Students can participate in this interdisciplinary STEM-focused challenge through classroom learning or informal education programs.

Registration for student teams is open from Sept. 30, 2015 toFeb. 4, 2016, and teams have until March 4, 2016, to submit their infographics.

Please direct questions about this challenge to BioenergizeME@ee.doe.gov.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2016 Space Exploration Educators Conference

Make plans to attend the 22nd Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference, to be held Feb. 4-6, 2016, at Space Center Houston. This conference is for all K-12 educators. Activities presented use space-related themes to teach across the curricula. The activities can be used for science, language arts, mathematics, history and more.

Attend sessions hosted by scientists and engineers working on exciting projects like the International Space Station and the exploration of Mars and other parts of our solar system. Hear from astronauts who will be “leading the charge” in exploration. Attend sessions presented by educators and receive ready-to-implement classroom ideas. Attendees can earn up to 24 hours of continuing professional education credit.

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium is offering undergraduate research scholarships of up to $8,500 to encourage talented individuals to conduct research in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering or mathematics).

Participants must participate in an active faculty-mentored research experience that aligns with the aerospace sector and NASA’s mission. Student stipends and research support totaling $4,000 during the academic year and $4,500 during a summer semester are available.

These one-year awards are nonrenewable and based on student academic merit, quality of the research proposal, and alignment of research with the goals of NASA and the aerospace sector. Underrepresented minority students, female students and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled at one of the five Virginia Space Grant member universities: The College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Applicants must have completed at least two years of a STEM undergraduate program and be classified as a junior or senior during the 2016-2017 academic year.

The deadline for submitting applications is Feb.8, 2016.

For more information, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/sf/undergrad/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to Anne Weiss at aweiss@odu.edu.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium’s Graduate STEM Research Fellowship Program provides fellowships of $6,000 in add-on support to graduate students to supplement and enhance basic research support. The objective of this research fellowship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is to encourage talented individuals to pursue careers in STEM industries that support NASA’s mission.

Participants in the Graduate STEM Research Fellowship Program must take part in an active faculty‐mentored research experience that aligns with the aerospace sector and NASA’s mission. Awards are made annually and are renewable for one year for students making satisfactory progress in academics and research.

This is a competitive fellowship program, and awards are based on merit to recognize high academic achievement and promise. Underrepresented minority students, female students and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled at one of the five Virginia Space Grant member universities: The College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

The deadline for submitting applications is Feb. 8, 2016.

For more information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/sf/gradfellow/. Please email any questions to Anne Weiss at aweiss@odu.edu.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a competitive funding opportunity for education projects that will strengthen the public’s and/or K-12 students’ environmental literacy to enable informed decision-making necessary for community resilience to extreme weather events and other environmental hazards. Successful projects will advance NOAA’s mission and build the environmental literacy necessary for community resilience by focusing on geographic awareness and an understanding of Earth systems and the threats and vulnerabilities that are associated with a community’s location.

Eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education; other nonprofits, including informal education institutions such as museums, zoos and aquariums; K-12 public and independent schools and school systems; and state, local and Indian tribal governments in the United States. Proposed projects should be between two and five years in duration and have total budget requests of $250,000 to $500,000 for all years of the project.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to oed.grants@noaa.gov.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Be an Astronaut! Apply Now for New Astronaut Candidate Class

NASA soon will be selecting astronauts for the next class of space explorers! Between Dec. 14, 2015, and mid-February 2016, NASA will be accepting astronaut candidate applications. Selection announcements are targeted for mid-2017.

Teaching, including experience at the K-12 level, is considered to be qualifying experience to be an astronaut. Educators with the appropriate educational background are eligible to apply.

For additional details on this opportunity and how to submit an application, visit https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium encourages academically talented individuals to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. The VSGC is offering a limited number of scholarships to students majoring in STEM fields at any campus in the Virginia Community College System.

These $2,000 scholarships are competitive awards based on academic merit for students demonstrating an interest in NASA’s missions and STEM-related careers. The VSGC strongly supports students in technical career pathways who are preparing to transfer to institutions of higher learning while developing the essential skills for a competitive global workforce.

Underrepresented minority students, female students and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled in the Virginia Community College System.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 14, 2016.

For more information, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/sf/ccstem/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to Anne Weiss at aweiss@odu.edu.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The scholarships are available to students who are U.S. citizens from any federally recognized minority group and are enrolled fulltime at one of the five VSGC member universities: The College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Applicants must have completed at least one year of a STEM undergraduate program and be classified as a sophomore during the 2016-2017 academic year.

The STEM Bridge Program connects students to future opportunities by mentoring and guiding them to future VSGC scholarships and NASA-related paid internships. The program encourages students to explore how their majors can apply to NASA’s mission.

This is a competitive program, and awards are based on student academic merit and the quality of interest essay, as well as letters of recommendation from current college faculty who can attest to the student’s interest in STEM areas.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 14, 2016.

For more information, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/sf/Bridge/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to Anne Weiss at aweiss@odu.edu.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The NASA Headquarters Office of Education, in cooperation with the agency’s four mission directorates, nine center education offices, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) education office, announces this competition to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Responses must be submitted electronically via the NASA data system NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com).

NASA Education seeks to partner with eligible domestic or international organizations on a no-exchange-of-funds basis to reach wider and more diverse audiences and to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. The Announcement places a priority on collaboration involving the following: digital learning; engaging underrepresented groups in STEM; NASA-themed STEM challenges; and youth-serving organizations. NASA also is receptive to other creative ideas including, for example, investigations or application of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and design (STEAMD); or activities culturally relevant to or focused on unrepresented in STEM careers populations, such as women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. The announcement explains the criteria used to review responses and NASA’s partnership mechanism known as a no-exchange-of-funds or non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please direct your questions to the Points of Contact listed within the NASA Announcement.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free “NASA’s Journey to Mars” Planetarium/Dome Show

Are you looking for ways to prepare your students for STEM-related career opportunities in the future? Do you want to spark their interest in pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation? Right now, NASA’s fleet of Mars robotic explorers is paving the way for human exploration of the solar system in the coming decades. Have your students join NASA in preparing for a monumental journey of a lifetime — to Mars!

Please direct questions about the “NASA’s Journey to Mars” planetarium/dome show to Elsie Weigel at elsie.weigel@nasa.gov.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________